Draw controls and offensive possession determined the game, and unfortunately for the Big Green, Penn dominated both areas. The Quakers controlled 13 draws and took 27 shots to the Big Green's 4 and 14, respectively.
Penn's advantage in draw controls gave it more chances on attack, causing the Dartmouth women to play most of the game on their defensive end.
When Dartmouth did have the ball, however, it made sure to capitalize, as indicated by Penn keeper Emily Szelest's zero saves.
Co-captain Julie Wadland '10 said that the team's two goals going into the game were to win draws and have patience on the attack.
"When we got the ball, we converted," she said. "It was just disappointing to see us not measure up to these goals."
Wadland racked up seven saves and caused two turnovers.
The Big Green did not attack the disciplined and aggressive Penn defense, which is one of the best in the League, as much as it hoped to, she added.
"We didn't test it as much as we could've," Wadland said.
Sarah Plumb '12 started the game off with a goal to give Dartmouth a 1-0 lead at 26:44. Shortly after, however, Penn's Emma Spiro scored a goal of her own before assisting teammate Erin Brennan at 23:48. At 16:18, Courtney Lubbe built Penn's lead to two with a score off of a free position.
The score remained 3-1 for the rest of the half.
The Dartmouth women came out with passion to start the second half, and it worked to their advantage, but they could not maintain their momentum.
"They remained composed for the whole game, whereas we were composed for the first 15 minutes of the second half," Wadland said.
Within the first eight minutes of the second half, Dartmouth had accumulated three goals from Hana Bowers '13, Hilary Smith '12 and Sarah Parks '12. The Big Green sat atop a 4-3 lead, but it was the last time the team would have the advantage.
Penn responded with a three-goal run of its own, starting with Spiro's second score of the day at 16:22. Plumb did what she could with a goal at 11:24, but Penn quickly countered with two more goals.
A final goal by the Big Green cut the Quaker lead to two with 5:50 to play, but, after winning the subsequent draw, Penn successfully maintained possession to eat up the clock. The Quakers even managed to pop one in for a goal with just 11 seconds left in the game, making the final score 9-6.
"It was like we had a parking break on all game," Wadland said.
The Big Green has two important games on the schedule for this week, against Harvard on Wednesday and against Princeton on Sunday, both teams that they have yet to play. The outcomes will determine the top seeds in the upcoming Ivy League tournament.
The team hopes that one of its top defenders, Colleen Olsen '10, will have recovered enough to see some playing time.
Dartmouth will try to play its own game as well as recapture its momentum.
"The skill's there, it's just a matter of showing up and wanting it more on game day," Wadland said.
The Big Green will travel to Cambridge, Mass., this Wednesday for a 4 p.m. start against the Crimson.
